Cheap EatsAfter Dark
The Paramount, 44 Charles Street, Beacon Hill
This Beacon Hill favourite has all the traits of aneighbourhood hangout but is just minutes from thecity centre. Its lunch menu is perfect for thebudget-conscious traveller with sandwiches costingbetween $6-$7. It's also famous for its ludicrouslytasty breakfasts.
Open Mon-Sat 7am-10pm (11pm Fri & Sat), Sun 8am-10pm.
The Wrap, 71 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge
Everyafternoon a stream of students from HarvardUniversity flow into this Cambridge sandwich bar,keeping the smile on the proprietor's face apermanent one. Create your own wrap from a varietyof fillings or choose one of the ready-made ones.Healthy and filling, 'The Wrap' is a good option forlunch on the run.
Open daily from 10am-11pm.
Ernesto's Pizza, 69 Salem St, North End
Somesay the pizza in Ernesto's is the best in North End.Others say the pizza in Ernesto's is the best inBoston. Either way, if you're looking for good pizzayou can do worse than slices from this pizza joint.It's quite small, but the pizza is superb.
Open Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, Fri & Sat 11am-11pm.
How do you like your nuts?
Roasted nut stands, various locations
For atrue Bostonian experience get a portion ofroasted almonds/cashew/peanuts from one ofthe stands dishing them out around WashingtonStreet. To locate one just let your nostrils do thenavigating.
Portions cost approx $3.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Comprising of QuincyMarket, North Market, South Market andMarketplace Center, the Faneuil Hall Marketplaceoffers Boston's best selection of places to eat. Ifyou're on a budget stick to the Quincy Market foodcourt where $10's worth of food will have youunfastening that top button.
Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun noon-6pm.
Bukowski's Tavern, 50 Dalton Street, Back Bay
Something of a Boston institution, Bukowski'sTavern epitomises the phrase 'drinking hole'. Aneclectic mix of Bostonians fill this small bar on anightly basis who come to sample one of the 99types of beer on offer and steer clear of some of thestereotypically Irish bars that are pepperedthroughout the city.
Open daily from 12 noon-2am.
Cheers, 84 Beacon St, Beacon Hill
Yes,
that
'Cheers'. Inspiration for one of the best-lovedsitcoms to ever come out of America, don't expectto see Sammy pulling beers behind the counterwhen you descend the stairs and go inside. Thisbar isn't anything like what you saw on TV, but it'sworth having a beer here if only for novelty reasons.
Open daily from 11am-1am.
Gay / Lesbian Boston
Even though Boston is one of the smallest ofthe 'big cities' on the east coast of America, itstill has an extremely active gay community.
Fritz
(26 Chandler Street) has been describedas 'Boston's gay Cheers' thanks to its relaxedatmosphere.
Buzz
(67 Stuart Street) is theplace to be on Saturday nights while
Cosmopolitan
(33 Batterymarch Street) is oneof the newest lesbian clubs on the scene.
Avalon, 15 Lansdowne Street, Kenmore Square
Attracting the biggest DJs from across the globe, ifyou're looking for a night of pulsating house musicthis is where to go. Located on vibrant LansdowneStreet, this huge club boasts four lounges, the'O-Bar' where clubbers can inhale a variety ofscents of oxygen, and the city's best sound system.
Open Thurs-Mon 11pm-late; admission varies.
Grafton Street, 1274 Mass Ave, Cambridge
ThisCambridge watering hole isn't your typicalIrish-flavoured bar thanks to its trendy décor, but it'sstill a firm favourite with Harvard students andthanks to its top quality nosh and good beer.People-watching is a favourite pastime here thanksto its large windows which face Harvard Sqaure.
Open daily from 11am-1am.
Lizard Lounge, 1667 Mass Ave, Cambridge
Hosting bands from around the US, this intimateclub close to Harvard Square is where to go for livemusic.
Open nightly from 7.30pm-1am.Remember it is standard practice to tip bartenders every time you are served.
Don't MissMark Your Calendar
Freedom Trail / Black Heritage Trail
Spanning4.8km and 2.5km respectively, these walking toursare not to be missed. The former brings you past 16of Bostons most significant landmarks like the OldCity Hall while the latter explores the history ofBoston's 19th century African American community.
The best view in Boston
Skywalk Observatory, Prudential Center, 800Boylston Street, Back Bay
For panoramicviews of Boston, the Skywalk Observatory isunrivalled. Admission includes an audio guidewhich takes you through every part of the city.Unlike so many audio tours, these are highlyengaging.
Open daily from 10am-8pm (winter) /10pm (summer); admission $11 (adult), $9 (student).
Boston Duck Tours, 3 Copley Place, Suite 310
Funny, informative, and incorporating trips throughthe city centre and along the Charles River, theBoston Duck Tours are one of the best ways to seethis historic city. Well-read and witty guides keepyou entertained for the duration of the tour and, ifyou're lucky, might even let you drive a duck!
Tours depart daily every 30/60 minutes from 9am-last hour before sunset; tickets $27 (adult) /$23 (student).
Fenway Park, Lansdowne Street, KenmoreSquare
Home to some of the most dramatic eventsever to take place in Boston, Fenway Park is wherethe infamous Red Sox call home. Many Bostonianswould call it the home of baseball since it is theoldest active ballpark. Whether its for a tour or agame, pencil it into your itinerary.
Season runs from April-October; tickets cost $12-$90; tours $12.
JFK Library and Museum, Columbia Point, SouthBoston
This museum documents the life of JFKfrom his birth up to his untimely assassination inDallas in 1963.
Open daily from 9am-5pm; admission $10.
January - Dance Across the City
'Dance Acrossthe City' is a new festival in Boston that aspires toshowcase dance as an enriching experiencethrough a series of creative and interactive eventsthat are free and open to the public.
March - St Patrick's Day Parade
Since Boston isAmerica's most Irish city, it comes as no surprisethat its St Patrick's Day celebrations are huge. Theparade to mark the event boasts outlandish floatsand attracts over 600,000 people to the city
April - Patriot's Day Celebrations
Bostonremembers the start of the revolution with acombination of parades and re-enactments. AsBoston is so connected to the revolution, expectmassive celebrations.
April - Boston Marathon
This 26-mile race is theoldest marathon in the world. It begins inHopkington outside Boston and ends near the JohnHancock Tower in Copley Square.
June - Festival of Bands
Boston's finest windinstrument bands entertain thousands on the firstSaturday of every June at the city's Faneuil Hall.
June - Dragon Boat Festival
Boat races are thefocal point of this event which is held on the CharlesRiver although musical and dance performancesare staged also.
June to September - Free Friday Flicks
EveryFriday during Boston's summer, classic films arescreened for free at the Hatch Memorial Shell.
June/July - Boston Harborfest
This seven-dayFourth of July celebration which attracts 2 millionpeople annually is one of Boston's biggest.
July - Independence Day
Commemorating thesigning of the Declaration of Independence, thebanks of the Charles River, and in particular at theHatch Memorial Shell, are where to be for Boston's4th of July celebrations.
October - Head of the Charles Regata
Held onthe last weekend of every October, this is thelargest two-day regatta in the world and attractsover 300,000 spectators annually.
December - First Night
Boston's unique NewYear's Eve celebrations begin with street parades inthe afternoon before climaxing with the obligatoryfireworks display that night.
Hostelworld Guide for Bostonwww.hostelworld.com
Leave a Comment